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Thread: Enterprise era campaign questions

  1. #1

    Enterprise era campaign questions

    As a possible newbie narrator to the ST setting for an RPG (not sure if I will get to, but would love to be prepared ), I am thinking of preparing a campaign that takes place during the Enterprise (Archer & T'pol time frame), as the unknown of the universe and exploration are the type of adventures I tend to find most attractive to run.

    First I must apologize. If some of this seems like common knowledge that all Trek fans should know, sorry. My knowledge is very limited. This new game system has sparked my interest. Othewise, I have not kept up with ST in the past. But everyone here seems friendly enough to ask.

    Using the noted time frame, what do would you, the more experienced ST RPGers, think of this setting for a newbie narrator? I am thinking there is very little on issues of canon that would have to be tampered with or learned. I know that PG doesn't support this series, but there seems like there shouldn't be that many changes that need to take place to make it playable.

    Any other info would help and be appriciated. From some of the other boards on the web, it seems like some hardcore ST fans won't even acknowledge the series. I still like it, though.

  2. #2
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    Welcome, Mr Smith...

    Since the PG and NG will provide you with a lot of information about the Trek of the "future", you could probably run and Enterprise series as a newbie. The important thing to remember is that once you begin running the game, it is YOUR canon. In other words, you will be setting up your own little ST universe. NO ONE (not even the series) gets to tell you what happens in it. If you want the vulcans to become a group of logical warriors, conquering everyone around, go ahead. If you want to stick to things seen on the show as "canon", go ahead with that! Anything you want... it's your game.

    As long as you and your players are having fun, ain't no body's business.

    Happy gaming,

    Hugh
    Hugh Casey
    My Online Journal

    "Oh, bother," said the Borg, "We've assimilated Pooh."

  3. #3
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    What Hugh said...

    Actually, if you don't know later Trek that well, I'd say it's probably one of the best eras to start in. Nothing's really fixed yet, and you have lots of room to manoeuvre in without treading on canon.

    The one thing you have to be careful with is technology. Enterprise is definitely low-tech compared even to TOS, so be careful to keep that feel. Slow ships, no real transporters, limited sensors, clunky spacesuits, aliens that are much more powerful than humans...

    Would be fun!
    Jon

    "There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, where the sea is asleep and the rivers dream; people made of smoke and cities made of song.
    Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on, Ace, we've got work to do."
    THE DOCTOR, "Survival" (Doctor Who)

  4. #4

    Re: Welcome, Mr Smith...

    Originally posted by Hugh Casey
    The important thing to remember is that once you begin running the game, it is YOUR canon. In other words, you will be setting up your own little ST universe. NO ONE (not even the series) gets to tell you what happens in it.

    Hugh
    Thanks for the reply, Hugh. In the past, I have taken great liberties with the Forgotten Realms, and no one got bent out of shape. After reading some of the posts here, I am glad to see that playing in the ST Universe is just as flexable. (I have to admit though, most of the "Canon Changes" thread seems like Greek to me. )

  5. #5
    Originally posted by Imagus
    What Hugh said...

    The one thing you have to be careful with is technology. Enterprise is definitely low-tech compared even to TOS, so be careful to keep that feel. Slow ships, no real transporters, limited sensors, clunky spacesuits, aliens that are much more powerful than humans...

    Would be fun!
    Thanks, Imagus. I think That is what appeals to me the most of this time frame, being more of a lower tech setting.

    Does anyone know of any resources, (sites or books) where I can research this type of info for the series? I went to the UPN website, and it has only previews and descritpions of the episodes. At www.startrek.com, the only thing I found was a brief synopsis of the episodes, which were actually pretty good. The search engine returned 10s of 1000s of hits, and the first 40 or so had mostly to deal with TOS, and fan sites for Star Trek.

  6. #6
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    Re: Re: Welcome, Mr Smith...

    Originally posted by WSmith


    (I have to admit though, most of the "Canon Changes" thread seems like Greek to me. )
    Shouldn't that be 'geek'?
    Greg

    "The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had."
    Madworld, Donnie Darko.

  7. #7
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    Re: Re: Welcome, Mr Smith...

    Originally posted by WSmith
    Thanks for the reply, Hugh. In the past, I have taken great liberties with the Forgotten Realms, and no one got bent out of shape. After reading some of the posts here, I am glad to see that playing in the ST Universe is just as flexable. (I have to admit though, most of the "Canon Changes" thread seems like Greek to me. )
    I did much the same with the Realms. I actually got to meet Ed Greenwood ( ) at GenCon last year, and mentioned my changes to him...

    His response? Go for it! Make it your own - that's what he created it for...

    I like it when they don't get too proprietary
    Jon

    "There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, where the sea is asleep and the rivers dream; people made of smoke and cities made of song.
    Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on, Ace, we've got work to do."
    THE DOCTOR, "Survival" (Doctor Who)

  8. #8
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    Enterprise era is also good if your players are mostly familiar with that show rather than the previous ones. The "strange new worlds, new planet every week" format works great for new GMs and players.
    And, as mentioned above, your game is your own, and you're under no obligation to follow what's on the shows.
    In my series, I eliminated from canon the fact that the captain of the ship had been courtmartialed according to Trek canon.

    P.S. - PROMOTION TO LT. J.G.! YEEEEEEHAAAAH! 200 POSTS! TIME TO PARTY LIKE WHEN I GOT 100 POSTS, ONLY TWICE AS MUCH! MUST... TAKE... TRANQUILIZER!
    "Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens."

    -Gimli, son of Gloin (The Fellowship of the Ring)

  9. #9
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    WS -- I wasn't much of a ST fan, either. Suggestion: get the Star Trek Encyclopedia on CD. It helped me immensely.
    "War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

    John Stuart Mill

  10. #10
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    Curious - what sort of starship are you planning on using? Something like Enterprise?

  11. #11
    Originally posted by Dan Stack
    Curious - what sort of starship are you planning on using? Something like Enterprise?
    Not really sure, but maybe that would be the option. I don't know enough about what is available in that time frame to decide. That is why I am doing some research.

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